It's always the unexpected surprises -- those treats that go beyond the standard-issue box of chocolates or drug-store teddy bear -- that make Valentine's Day so special.

That's part of what makes the pleasant-surprise romantic comedy "Definitely, Maybe, " starring Ryan Reynolds ("Smokin' Aces") and Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"), such a welcome Valentine's Day flick. More satisfying than your cookie-cutter romantic comedy but far less overwrought than a full-blown period romance, it finds a satisfying and cuddly middle ground that's bound to attract couples by the busload this weekend.

Sure, it's at times sweeter than those chalky little candy hearts with the forget-me-nots stamped on them, but it's also more gratifying -- and it's smart, to boot.

Just as much as "Definitely, Maybe" is a story of romantic love, it's a story of father-daughter love, as a 10-year-old girl -- in an envelope story that recalls "The Princess Bride, " minus the protestations over the mushy parts -- pesters her soon-to-be-divorced dad into telling the story of how he met her mother.

Rachel Weisz and Ryan Reynolds.

DEFINITELY, MAYBE

3 stars, out 4

Plot: A simple question from a 10-year-old girl causes a mid-divorce dad to reflect on his romantic past.

What works: Steeped in warm charm, it's a great Valentine's weekend date flick.

What doesn't: The characters tend to be one-dimensional, and the film harbors many of the corny contrivances found in any film in the genre.

He's reluctant, since it's bedtime -- and as any parent can tell you, there are days when you can't tuck in the little boogers fast enough -- but he relents, with the stipulation that all the names be changed, leaving Breslin to ponder all along which of three women in the story is the one he ends up with.

"It's like a love-story mystery, " she says.

Indeed, it is, and the fun part is that the audience gets to play along, since the answer to that mystery isn't revealed until the end (and since none of the women is one of those typical big-screen villainesses whom you root against and just know our hero wouldn't pick).

In tone, writer-director Adam Brooks ("Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason") has constructed a warm and funny story that feels like the Jim-Pam romance from NBC's "The Office" writ large. The charming, luggish Reynolds holds down the charming, luggish Jim role, of course, and he does a nice job.

Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher and Rachel Weisz take turns convincingly playing the Pam character, as they rotate in and out of his life but never entirely out of his heart.

Despite the one-dimensionality of many of the film's characters, "Definitely, Maybe" offers an unconventional approach to the romantic-comedy genre -- not only because of all those moving parts but also because it's told from the guy's point of view -- and there's something refreshing about that.

Adding to the film's appeal is its moderately brainy, current-events relevancy: The entire story is set against the backdrop of Bill Clinton's 1992 run for the Democratic presidential nomination -- Reynolds' character works in Clinton's New York office -- so it offers a little lagniappe for those movie-goers who just can't get enough of the too-close-to-call race currently playing itself out daily on the nation's front pages.

That setup also offers the opportunity for some satisfyingly clever laughs mixed in with the charming goofiness, as well as fun nods to early '90s pop culture, including mining the whole Monica Lewinsky affair to good effect. (If you don't know who Robert Klein is, you probably won't even notice his "Can't Stop My Leg" cameo at a campaign event. If you do, though, you'll get a chuckle.)

"Definitely, Maybe" is definitely -- there's no "maybe" about it -- not a life-changer of a story, nor is it a relationship-saver. But it's at least as pleasant as that box of chocolates. And the best part: zero calories.